The Rizen

Between the endless list of sci-fi options, The Rizen in the US on Fawesome, and in the UK on Amazon Prime Video is the one that earns the time. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. With 17 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Sally Phillips sets the tone, and the world-building does the rest. Put it on tonight on Fawesome and see for yourself.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, The Rizen earns its spot. What makes The Rizen work is that the ideas never crowd out the people having them. The year is 1955. NATO and the Allied Forces have been conducting secret, occult experiments in a bid to win the Arms Race. Now, they have finally succeeded but what the Army has unleashed threatens to tear our world apart. Sally Phillips and Julian Rhind-Tutt lead a cast that makes the ambitious moments land. It hit screens in 2017. The rules of The Rizen's world are consistent enough that the big swings never feel like cheating. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Viewers burned by ambitious sci-fi that could not sustain its premise should give The Rizen a chance. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Watch for Sally Phillips in particular — the performance elevates the material. Satisfying on multiple levels.

The Rizen was released in 2017, directed by Matt Mitchell. The full 94-minute film is available to watch now. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.